-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- New York eighth-grader Arvind Mahankali is the fiercest speller around . No word can foil him , as he proved Thursday when he beat out other Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants by spelling `` knaidel '' correctly .

`` I know this . I got this , '' he told CNN 's `` Early Start '' on Friday morning , recalling how he confidently steadied himself before enunciating every letter in the Yiddish word of German origin meaning dumpling . When he uttered the final letter , the audience erupted in wild applause .

The 13-year-old is feeling good even though he knows he wo n't be able to compete again since there 's a limit on contestants beyond the eighth-grade .

Mahankali is n't the type of kid who stops at spelling domination .

`` Next year I 'll try to go somewhere in the Math Olympiad and the Physics Olympiad , '' he said .

The Bayside Hills , New York , teen , who wants to become a physicist , finished third in two previous national bees . He was eliminated after misspelling words with German roots .

`` I thought that the German curse had turned into a German blessing , '' he said .

It did n't hurt that he studied constantly , telling CNN that he browsed through the dictionary and let his mother quiz him . `` My dad collects words . I look up those words and get familiarity with those words . ''

Ending his Scripps career with a victory means he 's `` retiring on a good note , '' he said .

`` I shall spend the summer , '' he said , `` maybe -LRB- an -RRB- entire day , studying physics . ''

Pranav Sivakumar , a 13-year-old from Tower Lakes , Illinois , finished second . He missed on `` cyanophycean . '' Then Mahankali nailed `` tokonoma '' and `` knaidel , '' and the rest is history .

The annual contest offers the winner a healthy dose of classroom cred , $ 32,500 in cash and savings bonds , a trophy and a library of reference materials .

Contest is n't bee-all and end-all

Eleven million schoolchildren participated in preliminaries leading up to the national contest this week . Of those , 281 children made the trip to Oxon Hill , Maryland , outside Washington , for the national bee . Eleven spellers made it through to the finals .

Among them were 63 children who had been to at least one national bee before , and had to prepare for some changes in the rules for this year 's events .

For the first time , participants had to demonstrate proficiency in vocabulary in addition to spelling .

Organizers also added an additional computer test for the semifinals , imposed time limits on computer-based spelling and vocabulary tests , and added a rule that resulted in automatic elimination for any participant who misspelled a word on stage in the second or third rounds .

CNN 's Athena Jones and Michael Pearson contributed to this report .

@highlight

Arvind Mahankali correctly spells `` tokonoma , '' then `` knaidel '' in Scripps National Spelling Bee

@highlight

Mahankali says he thought , `` I got this , '' when the judges told him the winning word

@highlight

Prize package includes $ 32,500 in cash and savings bonds

@highlight

It was final year to compete for Mahankali , who twice before finished third in contest